The stone benches which surrounded the chapter house, including the
abbot’s chair between the two windows (see Fig. 1055), are much
destroyed, but the central pillar and the vaulting are well preserved.
The capital of the pillar is carved with foliage of a late character,
and the corbels supporting the ribs of the vaults at the wall show
similar work. One of these corbels is quaintly carved, in imitation of a
figure clothed in the costume of the fifteenth or sixteenth centuries
(Fig. 1059), thus giving an indication of the date of the building. From
this and the work on the doorway above referred to, as well as the
character of the work generally, we have no hesitation in fixing the
date of this part of the abbey about the end of the fifteenth century.
The bosses of the vaults are carved with various devices, one of them
bearing a lion rampant, which is probably meant to represent the arms of
the founder, the Lord of Galloway.
The design of the tracery in the windows (see Fig. 1056) is good for the
period. It is remarkably like that of the chapter house at Crosraguel
Abbey, which was also fifteenth century work.
This sketch likewise shows the small portions of the church which still
remain. The lofty south gable of the transept is visible with the
sloping water table of the roof of the building, which stood on the
south of it. This building has apparently been at least two stories in
height. It no doubt extended over the chapter house wing, and contained
the dormitory, &c. (as at Crosraguel). A small lancet window on each
side of the water table near its apex and another small window over it
seem to indicate that there was an apartment in the roof of the
transept. The wall seen in the distance is part of the south wall of the
choir. It contains the water table of the roof of the east aisle of the
transept, and is broken off at the jamb of a high window, which lighted
the choir or presbytery, thus showing that the latter must have extended
further eastward than the existing ruin.